Altmark municipalities demand permanent long-distance rail connection between Hamburg and Berlin

At least two daily long-distance services are being demanded – one in the morning and one in the evening. „Startpunkt könnten mindestens zwei tägliche Fernverkehrsverbindungen sein: Eine am Morgen und eine am Abend“, the letter states. In addition, the initiative envisions that the route should receive at least one IC or EC service.

Background: ICE diversion as the catalyst

The initiative's background is an experience from current operations: during a disruption, ICE services between Hamburg and Berlin were diverted through the Altmark. This ICE diversion between Hamburg and Berlin through the Altmark, in the view of those involved, underscored the need for a fixed connection once again very clearly. „Während der Umleitung des ICE-Verkehrs zwischen Hamburg und Berlin habe sich die Nachfrage nach einer solchen Verbindung nochmals sehr deutlich bestätigt“, Meining explained.

The Stendal district referenced in its statement the supra-regional significance of the stations along the route. The stations are „zentrale Knotenpunkte für Verwaltung, Bildung, Gesundheitsversorgung, Wirtschaft und Tourismus“. A reliable long-distance rail connection therefore strengthens not only the town centers, but also the rural areas of the Altmark.

Demands in detail

According to information from MDR (Marius Rudolph) and dpa, the initiative was launched by Meining together with ten other mayors and five rural districts from Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony. In total, five rural districts and eleven mayors from the two federal states are backing the connection in a joint letter.

The addressees of the letter are the Federal Ministry of Transport, Deutsche Bahn, and the respective responsible state ministries. Several municipalities are behind the plan. The demand is thus deliberately directed at three levels: the federal government as the procurer and financier of long-distance rail, the railway company as the operator, and the states as public-transport authorities.

Reactions and outlook

Transport experts also see in an additional long-distance rail line via the Altmark an opportunity to relieve the heavily congested Hamburg–Berlin main route and at the same time improve connections to rural areas. Regional business representatives hope this will provide additional impetus for tourism and business settlement.

A response from the Federal Ministry of Transport or Deutsche Bahn to the letter was not initially available. When and in what form a decision on the demand will be made remains open. The initiative announced that it intends to continue the dialogue with the addressees over the coming weeks.